As microprocessors become faster and more powerful, they also generate an increasing amount of heat. This heat must be dissipated to maintain the optimum operating temperature of the component. Without proper heat dissipation, the microprocessor overheats and ceases to operate. The microprocessor cooling effort is further complicated by the common practice of encasing the microprocessor. The practice of encasing the microprocessor advantageously increases the durability of the part by protecting it from dust, dirt, and impact. The case conventionally includes a lid, also referred to as a “heat spreader”. The lid that protects the component typically has a larger surface area than the microprocessor and also serves to distribute heat generated by the microprocessor over the larger surface area of the lid. This heat distribution is not even and there exists a localized area of heat concentration on the lid just above the location of the microprocessor. The heat spreading function of the lid is insufficient to maintain the microprocessor at an appropriate operation temperature. Accordingly, most microprocessors require an attached heat sink to draw the heat away from the part and maintain the operating temperature.
There exist conventional heat sink designs that can properly dissipate the required amount of heat once the heat is transferred to the heat sink from the heat source. If heat is not transferred fast enough, even a perfectly efficient heat sink cannot do the job and the part will overheat. Traditionally, heat transfer from a heat source to a heat sink occurs by way of a mechanical communication. For example, a thermally conductive area of the heat sink, which is typically a metal, is pressed against a thermally conductive area, also typically metal, of the heat source. Experience shows, however, that bare metal to metal contact is not an efficient heat transfer mechanism. It has further been found that heat transfer can be improved by use of a thermal interface material that is able to conform under pressure to fill small air pockets that exist between the heat source and the heat sink. Even the best of thermal interface materials, however, do not transfer sufficient heat unless made extremely thin. Positioning a layer of thermal interface material between a heat source and a heat sink requires that the thermal interface material be under a compressive force. In the case of a microprocessor as the heat source, too much compressive force can damage the heat source itself or a printed circuit board to which the microprocessor is attached. There remains a need, therefore, for an efficient heat sink that addresses the aforesaid challenges.